Reinforced absorbable polymers

ABSTRACT

A composition of an absorbable polymer and a filler to increase the stiffness of the polymer is disclosed. The filler is a poly[succinimide], which is a bioabsorbable polymer that degrades into a nontoxic, simple amino acid. The composition can be melt processed to prepare medical and surgical devices, particularly those devices which are designed to penetrate bodily tissue or to withstand heavy loads. Typical surgical devices which can be made from the composition include surgical staples and ligating clips.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/208,391, filed Mar. 8,1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,816, which is hereby incorporated byreference which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/977,333 filedNov. 17, 1992, now abandoned which is incorporated herein by reference.

This invention relates to compositions of absorbable polymers containinga bioabsorbable filler. More specifically, it relates to absorbablepolymer compositions containing a reinforcing filler which enhances thestiffness of the polymer composition, yet decomposes into componentswhich are biocompatible with bodily tissue.

The need to replace surgical and medical devices made of metalliccomponents continues to grow as surgical procedures become moreintricate and complex. The driving force for the replacement of suchmetallic devices is the need for devices composed of materials which arecapable of being absorbed by the body. Bioabsorbable materials obviouslyrepresent a significant advantage over metallic materials, in thatbioabsorbable materials do not need to be removed after their surgicalfunction has been accomplished. In contrast, metallic devices remain inthe body and often require removal when the surgical repair is completedto prevent possible adverse reactions occurring due to the prolongedcontact of the metallic device and the surrounding bodily tissue or dueto the byproducts of the corrosion of the metal.

As a result of the burgeoning need for bioabsorbable materials insurgery and for other medical applications, a body of art has beendeveloped which utilizes bioabsorbable polymers as the structuralcomponent of these devices. In this manner, once the device hasperformed its function, the bioabsorbable polymer from which it iscomposed readily breaks down into nontoxic segments which can bemetabolized or passed through bodily tissue. For example, U.S. Pat. No.4,052,988 describes preparing absorbable surgical devices from polymersof 1,4-dioxanone and 1,4-dioxepan-2-one. The devices which can beprepared from these absorbable polymers include sutures, tubularimplants, surgical meshes, staples, and cylindrical pins, rods orscrews. The properties of the polymers from which the devices are madecan be changed by copolymerizing 1,4-dioxanone or 1,4-dioxepan-2-onewith other lactone monomers, such as lactide or glycolide, or by formingmixtures of the homopolymers with other absorbable polymers.

Other examples exist of the use of bioabsorbable polymers as the maincomponent for surgical devices. U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,337 describessurgical fasteners, particularly staples, composed of a polymeric blendderived from homopolymers and copolymers of lactide and glycolide. Theblending of the polymers is optimized to yield fasteners which canretain their strength in vivo for prolonged time periods, yet becomeimpalpable shortly thereafter.

Another example of surgical devices made from absorbable polymers can befound in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,741. This patent describes surgicalfasteners made from polymeric blends. The blends contain a copolymer oflactide and glycolide and a homopolymer of 1,4-dioxanone. Once again,the proportion of polymers in the blend is carefully controlled toachieve the optimum properties for the fastener.

While absorbable, polymeric surgical and medical devices represent anadvantage over metallic devices because the polymeric devices do notneed to be removed from the body, such polymeric devices often have amajor drawback which has limited their applications. Specifically,absorbable polymers typically lack the strength and stiffness ofmetallic components. Strength is an important asset for devices designedto penetrate bodily tissue or to withstand heavy loads. For theseapplications, the absorbable polymers must be stiff enough to withstandthe penetration forces or the load placed on them. With respect to thisimportant attribute of stiffness, absorbable polymers are usuallyincapable of matching the performance characteristics of metals andmetal alloys used for surgical devices.

Accordingly, attempts have been made to increase the stiffness ofbioabsorbable polymers from which surgical and medical devices are made.U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,670 describes preparing absorbable polymerscontaining finely divided sodium chloride or potassium chloride forsurgical devices such as ligating clips and staples. The salt fillerenhances certain properties of the polymer, most notably its stiffness.The absorbable polymers which can be used include homopolymers andcopolymers of lactide, glycolide, and 1,4-dioxanone. In a similarmanner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,923 discloses another example of using afiller to increase the stiffness of an absorbable polymer. In this case,an absorbable glass is used as the filler.

Unfortunately, the use of bioabsorbable glasses or inorganic salts asfillers for bioabsorbable polymers has certain disadvantages. First,since the absorbable polymer matrix is organic material, and the fillersdescribed in these patents are inorganic compounds, the adhesion betweenthe absorbable polymer matrix and the filler may be less than desirablefor adequate performance. That is, a lack of adhesion between the fillerand the polymer matrix will tend to reduce the synergistic effects oftheir combination, and significant improvements in stiffness may not berealized. Second, the use of an absorbable glass filler may cause thecalcification of soft tissue when the device from which the glass filledpolymer degrades inside the body.

In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, what is needed is abioabsorbable filler for absorbable polymers in which the filler canreadily break down into biocompatible segments. In addition, and mostimportantly, what is also needed is an organic compound that is used asa reinforcing filler and is compatible with the absorbable polymermatrix so that good adhesion and blending can be established for theoptimum improvement in the properties, especially the stiffness of thepolymer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a composition comprising an absorbable polymer capableof being absorbed by the body. The polymer contains as a filler apoly[succinimide] in an amount sufficient to increase the stiffness ofthe polymer.

Surprisingly, the poly[succinimide] filler increases the stiffness of aninjection molded device made of an absorbable polymer as measured by theYoung's modulus of that device in comparison to an injection molded partwhich does not contain the poly[succinimide] filler. Poly[succinimide]biodegrades into a nontoxic, simple amino acid, which can readily beeliminated in the body.

Contrary to the use of absorbable glasses as fillers for absorbablepolymers, there is no calcification of tissues when poly[succinimide] isused as the filler for the polymer. Additionally, poly[succinimide] isan organic polymer which, unlike the inorganic fillers described in theart, is compatible with the absorbable polymer matrix. In this manner,the adhesion between the absorbable polymer and poly[succinimide] filleris greater than that which would be achieved between the absorbablepolymer and the inorganic glass or salt fillers. Moreover, thisinherently good adhesion between the polymer matrix and thepoly[succinimide] filler may be improved by surface treatments prior tothe blending operation. Therefore, significant increases in thestiffness of the absorbable polymer composition can be achieved byincorporating the organic, poly[succinimide] filler into the absorbablepolymer composition.

Finally, poly[succinimide] is an amorphous polymer which has a very highglass transition temperature of about 200° C. The significance of thisproperty is that the polysuccinimide does not soften or react when it isincorporated into the absorbable polymer composition at processingtemperatures below its glass transition temperature. Thus, thepoly[succinimide] filler is easy to process and successfully incorporateinto the absorbable polymer composition to improve the stiffness of thepolymer.

The compositions of this invention can be used for any application inwhich such compositions can be envisioned, but they are especiallyuseful for the preparation of medical and surgical devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Poly[succinimides] are known polymeric compounds, and the synthesis ofpoly[succinimide] by the thermal polymerization of aspartic acid isreported in the following references: S. W. Fox, J. E. Johnson, and M.Middlebrook, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 77, 1048 (1955); J. Kovacs, I. Koenyves,and A. Pusztai, Experientia, 9, 459 (1959); J. Kovacs and I. Koenyves,Naturwiss, 41, 333 (1953); A. Vegotsky, K. Harada, and S. W. Fox, J. Am.Chem. Soc., 80, 3361 (1958); K. Harada, J. Org. Chem., 24, 1662 (1959).An improved synthesis of poly[succinimide] was published and involvedthe polycondensation of D,L-aspartic acid using 85 weight percentphosphoric acid. See P. Neri and G. Antoni, Macromol. Synth., 8, 25(1982).

For the purpose of defining this invention, a poly[succinimide] is anypolymer derived from aspartic acid, aspartic acid anhydride, or anysubstituted equivalent of aspartic acid or aspartic acid anhydride,including all possible combinations of stereoisomers of these compounds.In addition, a poly[succinimide] is any polymerization reaction productwhich would yield the structural equivalent of any of the polymersdescribed in the preceding sentence. The most preferredpoly[succinimide] is a polymer which has repeating units represented bythe following chemical formula: ##STR1##

A polymer is "absorbable" within the meaning of this invention if it iscapable of breaking down into small, nontoxic segments which can bemetabolized or eliminated from the body without harm. Generally,absorbable polymers swell, hydrolyze, and degrade upon exposure tobodily tissue, resulting in a significant weight loss. The hydrolysisreaction may be enzymatically catalyzed in some cases. Completebioabsorption, i.e. complete weight loss, may take some time, althoughpreferably complete bioabsorption occurs within 12 months, mostpreferably within 6 months.

The absorbable polymer may be a naturally occurring polymer, such as abacterial polyester, or a synthetic polymer. Suitable syntheticabsorbable polymers include polymers selected from the group consistingof aliphatic polyanhydrides (described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,128incorporated by reference herein), aromatic polyanhydrides (described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,264,540 incorporated by reference herein), radiationstable polylactones (described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,435,590, 4,510,295,4,532,928 and 4,689,424 incorporated by reference herein),poly(esteranhydrides) (as described in patent application Ser. No.03/062,865 filed May 14, 1993 and assigned to Ethicon, Inc.),polyiminocarbonates, polyesters made by step growth polymerization,especially polyesters that are absorbable like those made from oxalic(described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,087 incorporated by reference herein),malic, or tartaric acids, polyamides made by step growth or ring openingpolymerization, nontoxic structural poly(aminoacids) or polypeptidesmade by the ring opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides or bygenetic engineering, poly(hydroxybutyrate),poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate), other bacterially derivedpolyesters (described in Lenz, etal. Macromolecules 22, 1106 (1989); 235059 (1990); 24 5256 (1991); 25 1852 (1992), polyphosphazenes,polyesteramides like polymorpholinediones (described in U.S. Pat. Nos.4,441,496 and 4,916,209 incorporated by reference herein), and blockcopolymers of polyethylene glycol and polylactones (described in U.S.Pat. No. 4,452,973 incorporated by reference herein). Preferably, theabsorbable polymer is a synthetic polymer. The preferred syntheticabsorbable polymers are derived from the class of monomers generallyreferred to in the art as lactone monomers (including acid equivalentsof these monomers that may be used to form absorbable polymers).Examples of lactone monomers include glycolide, lactide, 1,4-dioxanone,trimethylene carbonate, δ-valerolactone, ε-caprolactone,1,4-dioxepan-2-one, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, and substituted equivalents ofthese compounds as well as the cyclic dimers of these compounds.

Also envisioned within the scope of the invention are compositionscomposed of copolymers of the above-mentioned lactone monomers. Random,block or graft copolymers of any of the lactone monomers can be preparedto make compositions which fall within the scope of this invention. In asimilar manner, polymeric blends can be used, in which absorbablepolymers are blended to prepare a mixture of the individual polymercomponents.

The preferred absorbable polymers are synthetic polymers derived fromthe polymerization of lactide, glycolide and 1,4-dioxanone. The mostpreferred polymers are the homopolymer of 1,4-dioxanone and copolymersof lactide and glycolide. It is advantageous that the polymer have amolecular weight which is sufficient for melt processing to preparesurgical or medical devices.

The amount of poly[succinimide] filler which is sufficient to increasethe stiffness of the polymer will depend on numerous factors, includingthe particular polymer chosen and the application for which the polymercomposition is used. The amount to increase the stiffness can be readilydetermined empirically. However, as a general rule, the concentration ofthe poly[succinimide] filler in the polymer can vary over a range fromabout 10 to about 80 percent of the weight of the filled composition.Preferably, from about 20 to about 40 weight percent of thepoly[succinimide] filler is used. If the concentration were less thanabout 10 weight percent of filler, then the desired increase instiffness of the polymer may not be realized. Conversely, if theconcentration of filler were greater than about 80 weight percent, thenthe processability of the composite may be compromised.

The filler may be in any structural form which is suitable for theequipment being used to prepare the composition and which is necessaryto achieve the desired final properties. For example, thepoly[succinimide] filler may be a powder, or it could be in the form ofcontinuous or staple fibers. It may also be in the form of microfibers,whiskers, or plates. Fibers may be the preferred form when uniaxial orbiaxial orientation in the polymer composition is desired. The greatestincreases in mechanical properties are achieved when the filler has ahigh aspect ratio. On the other hand, a powder may be preferred when auniform distribution of the filler in the polymer matrix is desired. Ifprocessability is the primary concern, then the filler is preferably inthe form of a finely divided powder. Such a finely divided powder isoften easiest to uniformly distribute throughout the polymer.

If a finely divided powder is used as the poly[succinimide] filler, thenthe particle size distribution of the powder can vary over a wide range,but it is typically preferred to have a particle size distributionranging from about 50 to about 150 microns. However, even particle sizesunder about 50 microns can be used to stiffen the absorbable polymer.Poly[succinimides] are isolated and purified by precipitation.Precipitation techniques may be used to control the size and to someextent the shape of the poly[succinimide] filler. Generally, when afinely divided powder is required, the precipitated poly[succinimide] isground and sifted through sieves to yield a relatively uniform particlesize distribution. A uniform distribution of these poly[succinimide]particles in the polymer matrix is also desired to achieve the optimumproperties.

The incorporation of the poly[succinimide] filler into the absorbablepolymer can be accomplished using conventional methods. Preferably, whena finely divided powder is used as the filler, the poly[succinimide]powder is dried, ground, and sifted through appropriate micron sievesuntil a sufficient quantity of the particles of desired sizedistribution is produced. The screened particles are desirably kept dryby storage under vacuum until they can be dry blended with theabsorbable polymer in an appropriate mixer. The mixing operation shouldbe performed until a uniform dispersion of the poly[succinimide]particles in the polymer is achieved. If the poly[succinimide] is usedin the form of continuous or staple fibers, then conventional techniquesfor the processing of fibrous products can be used.

The poly[succinimide] filler may also be added to the monomer feed atthe time of the polymerization of the monomer or comonomers providedthat adequate mixing is used.

Once the compositions of this invention are made, they can be easilyprocessed using conventional melt processing techniques to preparenumerous medical and surgical devices. The compositions can be extrudedto prepare fibers for sutures and ligatures. Preferably, thecompositions are injection molded to prepare a vast array of deviceswhich are designed to penetrate bodily tissue or to withstand heavyloads. Included among such devices are surgical staples and ligatingclips.

The following examples are intended to illustrate the preferredembodiments of this invention. By no means should these examples beconstrued to limit the scope and spirit of this invention as it isdelineated in the appended claims. Numerous additional embodiments willbecome readily apparent to those skilled in this art.

EXAMPLES EXAMPLE 1 PREPARATION OF POLY[SUCClNIMIDE] FROM D,L-ASPARTICACID

200.4 Grams (1.50 moles) of D,L-aspartic acid and 101.2 grams (0.878moles) of an 85 weight percent aqueous phosphoric acid solution wereplaced into a three liter, three neck, round bottom flask equipped witha mechanical stirrer, a nitrogen gas inlet with a Firestone valve, and avent. This suspension was heated with an oil bath to 200° C. The mixturebegan to boil, and the steam was carried out of the reaction flask bythe stream of nitrogen. After fifteen to thirty minutes, a vacuum hosewith a pinch clamp was connected to the vent, and a vacuum was slowlyapplied by opening the pinch clamp in stages. The nitrogen gas wasturned off during the vacuum distillation. Foaming was a problem as thepressure in the reaction chamber was reduced. Foaming was controlled bycarefully adjusting the pressure. Full vacuum was usually obtained afterforty five to sixty minutes. The reaction mixture was held under highvacuum at 200° C. for two hours, and then, allowed to cool down to roomtemperature under nitrogen.

1.5 Liters of dimethylformamide (DMF) were added to the reaction flask,and the resulting mixture was heated to 150° C. until all of thepoly[succinimide] had dissolved. The solution was transferred into alarge stainless steel blender and stirred vigorously while 3.75 litersof distilled water were added. The tan powder was isolated by suctionfiltration, washed with several liters of distilled water, and finallywashed with one liter of methanol. The filtercake was air dried on theBuchner funnel and vacuum dried at 110° C. for twenty four hours. Thevacuum trap was cleaned periodically during the devolatization cycle.

138 Grams of a light tan powder of poly[succinimide] were collected. Theinherent viscosity was 0.23 dL/g in DMF at 25° C. (c=0.10 g/dL). FTIR(KBr pellet, cm⁻¹): 3490 (broad), 2954, 1801, 1714, 1389, 1363, 1288,1257, 1214, 1162, 935, 700, 636. ¹ H NMR (300 MHz, d₇ -DMF, ppm) δ 2.85[bs, 1H], 3.35 [bs, 1H], 5.5 [broad two lines, 1H]. The glass transitiontemperature was 200° C. as measured by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) at 20° C. per minute under nitrogen.

EXAMPLE 2 PREPARATION OF POLY[SUCCINIMIDE] FROM D-ASPARTIC ACID

50.0 Grams (0.376 moles) of D-aspartic acid and 25.3 grams (0.219 moles)of an 85 weight percent aqueous phosphoric acid solution were placedinto a 500 mL, three neck, round bottom flask equipped with a mechanicalstirrer, a distillation head, and a collection flask. The reaction flaskwas immersed in an oil bath and connected to both a nitrogen gas lineand a vacuum line with a Firestone valve. The suspension was heated withan oil bath to 200° C. under an inert atmosphere. The mixture began toboil, and water was collected. The collection flask was chilled with dryice. Some foaming occurred and the viscosity of the reaction mixtureincreased. After about one hour, mechanical stirring was stopped and avacumm was slowly applied to the reaction mixture. Water continued todistill out. Foaming was not a serious problem. The reaction mixture washeld at 200° C. for two hours under high vacuum and then allowed to cooldown to room temperature under nitrogen.

275 Milliliters of DMF were added to the reaction flask, and theresulting mixture was heated to 150° C. until all of thepoly[succinimide] had dissolved. The solution was transferred into a 500mL separatory funnel and added into a large stainless steel blendercontaining two liters of distilled water with vigorous stirring. A tanpowder precipitated out of solution and was isolated by suctionfiltration. The filtercake was washed with several liters of distilledwater and then with about 500 mL of methanol, and air dried on theBuchner funnel. The wet filtercake was a tan paste and weighed 169.3grams, was transferred into a dish, and finally vacuum dried at 110° C.for twenty four hours. The vacuum trap was cleaned periodically duringthis devolatization step. 35.6 grams of a tan material were isolated andground into a fine power in a mortar and pestle. The inherent viscosityof this poly[succinimide] was 0.39 dL/g in DMF at 25° C. (c=0.10 g/dL).A broad endothermic transition was observed by DSC between 200° C. and300° C. Thermal decomposition started to occur around 390° C. asdetermined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The poly[succinimide]lost about 3.90 weight percent by the onset of decomposition.

EXAMPLE 3 PREPARATION OF POLY[SUCCINIMIDE] FROM L-ASPARTIC ACID

50.0 Grams (0.376 moles) of L-aspartic acid and 25.3 grams (0.219 moles)of an 85 weight percent aqueous phosphoric acid solution were placedinto a 500 mL, three neck, round bottom flask equipped with a mechanicalstirrer, a distillation head, and a collection flask. The reaction flaskwas immersed in an oil bath and connected to both a nitrogen gas lineand a vacuum line with a Firestone valve. The suspension was heated withan oil bath to 200° C. under an inert atmosphere. The mixture began toboil, and water was collected. The collection flask was chilled with dryice. Some foaming occurred and the viscosity of the reaction mixtureincreased. After about one hour, mechanical stirring was stopped and avacumm was slowly applied to the reaction mixture. Water continued todistill out. Foaming was not a serious problem this time. The reactionmixture was held at 200° C. for two hours under high vacuum and thenallowed to cool down to room temperature under nitrogen.

300 Milliliters of DMF were added to the reaction flask, and theresulting mixture was heated to 150° C. until all of thepoly[succinimide] had dissolved. The solution was transferred into a 500mL separatory funnel and added into a large stainless steel blendercontaining two liters of distilled water with vigorous stirring. A tanpowder precipitated out of solution and was isolated by suctionfiltration. The filtercake was washed with several liters of distilledwater and then with about 500 mL of methanol, and air dried on theBuchner funnel. 195 grams of wet filtercake were vacuum dried at 110° C.for twenty two hours. The vacuum trap was cleaned periodically duringthe devolatization process. 36.3 grams of a tan material were isolatedand ground into a fine power in a mortar and pestal. The inherentviscosity of this poly[succinimide] was 0.38 dL/g in DMF at 25° C.(c=0.10 g/dL). A broad endothermic transition was observed by DSCbetween 200° C. and 300° C. Thermal decomposition started to occuraround 390° C. as determined by TGA. The poly[succinimide] lost about9.0 weight percent by the onset of decomposition.

EXAMPLE 4 IN VlVO ABSORPTION AND TISSUE REACTION STUDY

2.5 Grams of poly[succinimide], prepared as described in Example 1 andhaving an inherent viscosity of 0.29 dL/g, were dissolved in 10 mL ofDMF at room temperature in a 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask. In the glove box,the resulting viscous solution was poured into a silanized dish andcovered with a large beaker to slow down the evaporation of the solvent.After two weeks, the film was still soft. The beaker was then replacedby the top section of an uncapped one gallon milk jug with its bottomcut out to speed the evaporation rate. After another two weeks, abrittle amber film had formed. The film was then cut into 0.3×2.0 cmstrips with a hot spatula. The edges of the strips were sanded smoothwith an emery board. These poly[succinimide] strips were kept dry bystorage in a vacuum oven and were later placed in packages, sterilizedby ethylene oxide exposure, and sealed under nitrogen. No residual DMFwas detected by 300 MHZ ¹ H NMR spectroscopy in the poly[succinimide]strips.

The sterilized strips of poly[succinimide] were evaluated forintramuscular tissue reaction and absorption in rats. The tissuereaction at three and seven days was slight to moderate. Nothing unusualwas observed. The tissue reaction decreased steadily with implantationtime. After 56 days, the poly[succinimide] was completely absorbed insome animals and almost completely absorbed in others. A few smallfragments of polymer remained. The absorption of poly[succinimide] waschecked again after 119 days, at which time it was observed that all ofthe poly[succinimide] had completely disappeared.

EXAMPLE 5 GRINDING AND SIFTING OF POLYSUCCINIMIDES

The batches of poly[succinimide] from Examples 2 and 3 were ground intofine powders using a mortar and pestle. Each material was sifted througha 150 micron sieve and then through a 50 micron sieve to produce 10grams of material consisting of particle sizes ranging from 150 to 50microns (i.e., material sifted through 150 μm sieve but not through 50μm sieve). The ground and screened materials were stored in a vacuumoven at room temperature.

The poly[succinimide] of Example 2 was also ground using a mortar andpestle to yield 8.0 grams of material passing through a 50 micron sieve.

EXAMPLE 6 INJECTION MOLDING OF POLY[1,4-DIOXANONE] BARBELLS

Cylindrical barbells were molded from poly[1,4-dioxanone] having aninherent viscosity of 1.8 dL/g in hexafluoroisopropanol at 30° C.(c=0.10 g/dL) on a benchtop injection molding machine (manufactured byCustom Scientific Instruments, Mini Max Molder Model CS-182MMX). Thesebarbells were molded between 120° C. and 130° C.; the residence time inthe Mini Max Molder was approximately three minutes; and the barbellsdid not adhere to the mold. The barbells were annealed at 85° C. for 18hours under a nitrogen atmosphere.

EXAMPLE 7 INJECTION MOLDING OF POLY[1,4-DIOXANONE] BARBELLS AFTER BEINGKNEADED IN A BRABENDER PLASTI-CORDER

The same batch of poly[1,4-dioxanone] used in Example 6 (I.V.=1.8 dL/g)was placed in the small mixing bowl of a Brabender Plasti-Corder (ModelPL 2000) equipped with roller blades and heated at 130° C. for thirtyminutes with the blades turning at five revolutions per minute. Then,the mixing bowl was disassembled, and the polymer removed. Thepoly[1,4-dioxanone] was stored in the dark under vacuum prior togrinding. The polymer was frozen in liquid nitrogen and ground in aWiley mill to pass through a 6mm screen. The resulting course groundresin of poly[1,4-dioxanone] was stored under vacuum for at least 24hours prior to injection molding. Cylindrical barbells of this kneadedpoly[1,4-dioxanone] were molded and annealed as described in Example 6.

EXAMPLE 8 INJECTION MOLDING OF POLY[1,4-DIOXANONE] BARBELLS AFTER BEINGKNEADED IN THE BRABENDER EXTRUDER

Example 7 was repeated. This example is just another control experimentperformed at the time the smaller particle size blend was prepared andmolded.

EXAMPLE 9 INJECTION MOLDING OF POLY[SUCCINIMIDE] FILLEDPOLY[1,4-DIOXANONE] BARBELLS

9.0 Grams of the 150-50 micron particle size poly[succinimide], made inExample 2 and sifted in Example 5, were combined with 21.0 grams ofpoly[1,4-dioxanone] having an inherent viscosity of 1.8 dL/g in a jarand shaken by hand for a few minutes. The mixture was then added to thesmall mixing bowl of a Brabender PlastiCorder at 130° C. and blended forthirty minutes with the blades turning at five revolutions per minute.The mixing bowl was disassembled, and the blend was removed. Thepoly[succinimide] filled poly[1,4-dioxanone] blend was stored in thedark under vacuum. The blend was frozen in liquid nitrogen and ground ina Wiley mill to pass through a 6 mm screen. After grinding, the sampleswere stored under vacuum for at least 24 hours prior to injectionmolding.

Cylindrical barbells of this poly[succinimide] filledpoly[1,4-dioxanone] blend were molded on a Mini Max benchtop injectionmolding machine between 150° C. and 170° C. in order to fill the moldcompletely, whereas the unfilled poly[1,4-dioxanone] was molded between120° C. and 130° C. The residence time in the Mini Max was approximatelythree minutes, and the barbells did not adhere to the mold. Theresulting barbells were placed in a glass dish and were annealed at 85°C. for 18 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere.

EXAMPLE 10 INJECTION MOLDING OF POLY[SUCCINIMIDE] FILLEDPOLY[1,4-DIOXANONE] BARBELLS

9.0 Grams of the 150-50 micron particle size poly[succinimide], made inExample 3 and sifted in Example 5, were combined with 21.0 grams ofpoly[1,4-dioxanone] having an inherent viscosity of 1.8 dL/g in a jarand shaken by hand for a few minutes. The mixture was then added to thesmall mixing bowl of a Brabender PlastiCorder at 130° C. and blended forthirty minutes with the blades turning at five revolutions per minute.The mixing bowl was disassembled, and the blend was removed. Thepoly[succinimide] filled poly[1,4-dioxanone] blend was stored in thedark under vacuum. The blend was frozen in liquid nitrogen and ground ina Wiley mill to pass through a 6 mm screen. After grinding, the sampleswere stored under vacuum for at least 24 hours prior to injectionmolding.

Cylindrical barbells of this poly[succinimide] filledpoly[1,4-dioxanone] blend were molded on a Mini Max benchtop injectionmolding machine between 150° C. and 170° C. The residence time in theMini Max was approximately three minutes, and the barbells did notadhere to the mold. The resulting barbells were placed on a glass dishwere annealed at 85° C. for 18 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere.

EXAMPLE 11 INJECTION MOLDING OF POLY[SUCCINIMIDE] FILLEDPOLY[1,4-DIOXANONE] BARBELLS

8.0 Grams of the 50 micron or less particle size poly[succinimide], madein Example 2 and sifted in Example 5, were added to 18.6 grams ofpoly[1,4-dioxanone] having an inherent viscosity of 1.8 dL/g in a jarand shaken by hand for a few minutes. The mixture was then added to thesmall mixing bowl of a Brabender Plasti-Corder at 130° C. and blendedfor thirty minutes with the blades turning at five revolutions perminute. The mixing bowl was disassembled, and the blend was removed. Thepoly[succinimide] filled poly[1,4-dioxanone] blend was stored in thedark under vacuum. The blend was frozen in liquid nitrogen and ground ina Wiley mill to pass through a 6 mm screen. After grinding, the sampleswere stored under vacuum for at least 24 hours prior to injectionmolding.

Cylindrical barbells of this polysuccinimide filled poly[1,4-dioxanone]blend were molded on a Mini Max benchtop injection molding machinebetween 150° C. and 170° C. The residence time in the Mini Max wasapproximately three minutes, and the barbells were placed in a glassdish did not adhere to the mold. The resulting barbells were placed in aglass dish and were annealed at 85° C. for 18 hours under a nitrogenatmosphere.

EXAMPLE 12 TENSILE TESTING OF THE BARBELLS

The tensile properties of the cylindrical barbells ofpoly[1,4-dioxanone] and of the poly[succinimide] filledpoly[1,4-dioxanone] blends are shown in Tables I and II for the twodifferent particle size fillers.

                                      TABLE I                                     __________________________________________________________________________    Poly[succinimide] Filled Poly[1,4-dioxanone]                                  (150-50 Micron Particle Size)                                                 Tensile Properties                                                                 Yield Yield                                                                             Breaking                                                                            Strain                                                                              Young's                                                                            Percent                                       Example                                                                            Strength                                                                            Strain                                                                            Strength                                                                            at    Modulus                                                                            Modulus                                       Number                                                                             (psi) (%) (psi) Break (%)                                                                           (ksi)                                                                              Increase                                      __________________________________________________________________________    Ex. 6                                                                              6700  23  6130  34    54   NA                                            Control                                                                       S.D.  370   2   390   5     6                                                 Ex. 7                                                                              7080  21  4520  57    48   NA                                            Kneaded                                                                       Control                                                                       S.D.  300   4   800  44     5                                                 Ex. 9                                                                              8270  14  7220  25    77   60                                            30 wt. %                                                                      Filler                                                                        S.D.  370   1   590   4     6                                                 Ex. 10                                                                             7700  13  7250  16    76   58                                            30 wt. %                                                                      Filler                                                                        S.D.  160   1   310   1     9                                                 __________________________________________________________________________     S.D. means standard deviation.                                           

                                      TABLE II                                    __________________________________________________________________________    Poly[succinimide] Filled Poly[p-dioxanone]                                    (50 Microns and less Particle Size)                                           Tensile Properties                                                                 Yield Yield                                                                             Breaking                                                                            Strain                                                                              Young's                                                                            Percent                                       Example                                                                            Strength                                                                            Strain                                                                            Strength                                                                            at    Modulus                                                                            Modulus                                       Number                                                                             (psi) (%) (psi) Break (%)                                                                           (ksi)                                                                              Increase                                      __________________________________________________________________________    Ex. 6                                                                              6700  23  6130  34    54   NA                                            Ex. 8                                                                              7320  19  5140  74    50   NA                                            Kneaded                                                                       Control                                                                       S.D.  430   2  1000  53    10                                                 Ex. 11                                                                             7320  15  6540  25    69   38                                            30 wt. %                                                                      Filler                                                                        S.D.  290   1   415   4     5                                                 __________________________________________________________________________     S.D. means standard deviation.                                           

Two poly[1,4-dioxanone] controls were employed. The first control(Example 6) was simply the poly[1,4-dioxanone] used in all of theexperiments, having an inherent viscosity of 1.8 dL/g. This material wasinjection molded at 120° C. into barbells which were then annealed andtensile tested. The second poly[1,4-dioxanone] controls (Examples 7 and8) were injection molded after being melted and kneaded in the BrabenderPlastic-Corder in the same way that the poly[succinimide] filledpoly[1,4-dioxanone] blends were prepared. As shown in the first two rowsof Table I, barbells of the unkneaded and kneaded poly[1,4-dioxanone]had virtually the same mechanical properties, indicating that the meltblending process used in this study did not alter thepoly[1,4-dioxanone] to any appreciable extent.

Two poly[succinimide] filled poly[1,4-dioxanone] blends (Examples 9 and10) were prepared using two different batches of poly[succinimide](Examples 2 and 3) of similar molecular weight having a particle sizebetween 150 and 50 microns. These blends contained 30 weight percentpoly[succinimide]. The tensile properties of these filled systems areshown in the last two rows of Table I and are almost identical. TheYoung's modulus of the poly[succinimide] filled poly[1,4-dioxanone]increased about 60 percent over that of the unfilled poly[1,4-dioxanone], and the elongation to break decreased. Furthermore, the tensilestrength of the poly[succinimide] filled poly[1,4-dioxanone] wasslightly higher than that of the unfilled poly[1,4-dioxanone] whichsuggests that the poly[succinimide] filler is evenly dispersed and hasreasonably good adhesion to the poly[1,4-dioxanone] matrix.

Similarly, as listed in Table II, barbells made from the blend ofpoly[1,4-dioxanone] and poly[succinimide] consisting of particles of 50microns or less (Example 11) showed a 38 percent increase in the Young'smodulus over that of virgin poly[1,4-dioxanone] barbells (Example 8).

We claim:
 1. A surgical device comprising an absorbable matrixcomprising an absorbable polymer selected from the group consisting ofaliphatic polyanhydrides, aromatic polyanhydrides polylactoneshomopolymers, polylactone copolymers, poly(esteranhydrides),polyiminocarbonates, polyesters of oxalic acid, polyesters of malicacid, polyesters of tartaric acid, polyamides, poly(aminoacids),nontoxic polypeptides, poly(hydroxybutyrate),poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate), bacterially derivedpolyesters, polyphosphazenes, polyesteramides and block copolymers ofpolyethylene glycol and polylactones capable of being absorbed by thebody containing as a discrete filler material, a poly[succinimide], inan amount sufficient to increase the stiffness of the polymer, havingrepeating units represented by the following formula: ##STR2##
 2. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein the device is a surgical staple.
 3. The deviceof claim 1 wherein the device is a ligating clip.
 4. The device of claim1 wherein the synthetic absorbable polymer is derived from at least onelactone monomer.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein the lactone monomer isselected from the group consisting of lactide, glycolide, 1,4-dioxanone,trimethylene carbonate, δ-valerolactone, ε-caprolactone,1,4-dioxepan-2-one, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, cyclic dimers thereof andcombinations of two or more thereof.
 6. The device of claim 4 whereinthe absorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting ofhomopolymers of 1,4-dioxanone and copolymers of lactide and glycolide.7. The device of claim 6 wherein the absorbable polymer is a homopolymerof 1,4-dioxanone.
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein the amount of thepoly[succinimide] filler in the absorbable polymer is between about 10to about 80 percent of the weight of the composition.
 9. The device ofclaim 1 wherein the amount of the poly[succinimide] filler in theabsorbable polymer is between about 20 to about 40 percent of the weightof the composition.